Depends upon ones definition of recovery (no offense intended)(and who does the reporting).
Just like “climate”, Elk move (not so much just north of me now, but I’m told that they have).
Another winter habitat, just south, is showing increased herd.
Yellowstone may have lost population but that may be to the advantage of the park overall.
Too many plant eaters.
Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks is finally admitting that the North Yellowstone herd, once numbering 20,000 elk, is down to somewhere “near 5,000”.
“Near” likely means closer to 2,000, which is what the serious people on the ground will tell you.
Yes, some of the elk have moved north, but not that many, and those elk are now facing an extended season, from the end of November to MID-FEBRUARY in some areas, because the displaced (by wolves) elk are damaging hay and grass in areas where they haven’t been before.
These extended seasons are supposed to thin the herds down to the “objective level” imposed by FWP, but what it really means is that any number of cows will be slaughtered on certain parcels, while the acreage next door may have ZERO elk in residence, which is surely far below the “objective” numbers.
It is a hell of a way to manage game animals. Everyone involved is disgusted with it, including the front line FWP personnel who know that killing cow elk this time of year usually means killing two elk, because most of the cows are pregnant.
The wolves are the be-all and end-all of game management now, along with grizzlies and lions, of course. The big game populations, elk, moose, goats and sheep are at dismal levels and, as mar mema has suggested above, are viewed by those who care to be irrecoverable.
Imagine if an oil company or a coal mine had killed some ten to fifteen thousand elk and displaced several thousand more...the outcry would be worldwide.
But as long as the government is doing it, we are supposed to look the other way....and most people do.
I see you fell for that liberal myth — it has been soundly debunked.
http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-the-news/yellowstone-wolves-take-a-blow-to-their-rep/
http://oldmanoftheski.com/2013/02/20/trophic-cascade-theory-house-of-cards/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/3/9/1283439/-Wolf-Myths-Nuked-in-NYT
Bald faced liars indeed. 80% of baby elk at YNP were eaten before they reached one year of age. Watch for grizzly attacks to become news. They
tried to allow hunting of grizzlies because they are out of control and out of
food but the Sierra Club and fellow puke earth-something groups are suing
the feds over it, tying it up in court for as long as possible..
Make no mistake, they want all rural land free of hunting,ranching and humans in that order. The Seattle city council is trying to eliminate the zone of single family homes period. They want to add floors to apartment buildings and have everyone live in those. This is agenda 21 in its prime.
Predators are great ways to make ranching losses so severe that ranchers give up. The feds are pushing Washington state to take grizzlies and Wa officials are not happy.
We desperately need to stop the liberal movement in this country. That’s why I like Cruz but I will take Trump too.